As the Ice Thaws
by JapaneseDeer
Summary: Kise Ryota was a ball of sunshine while Hanabusa Oyuki was a snowstorm waiting to fall. Will Kise be able to melt the wall of ice between them or will winter outlast spring? [Kise x OC]
1. The Snow Queen

**A/N: **Pardon my rusty writing. I haven't written anything for a while now. Despite Midorin and Ahomine being my personal favorites, I found myself intrigued by the golden ace's personality. It might take me quite some to update because I'm currently doing my thesis. Constructive criticism and reviews would be very much appreciated.

Oh and before I forget, here's a special shout-out to my bestest bud in the world who helped me come up with the title and the summary!

* * *

It was spring: the season of beginnings and rebirth.

To everybody, it marked another year to start anew. It was that time of the year wherein everybody was just excited for the change that awaited them. It was still a little cold though. The winter chill was still clinging on to the mellow breeze of spring. The sun was graciously shining a subtle shade of gold on everything it could touch, melting of the thin sheets of ice and the thick blankets of snow that covered the city. Everything that was covered in winter's white blight was slowly regaining its color. The grounds were beginning to turn green and the flowers were beginning to blossom.

Kise Ryota found himself smiling as he looked outside his window.

On the other side of the spectrum, a girl was frowning in disdain. She had always loved winter. She found the silence comforting and the still, alabaster world beautiful in comparison to the usual noise and busyness of the city of Tokyo. Born on the coldest day of the frost, Habanusa Oyuki bore pale, ivory skin, straight, ebony hair and rose-red lips. The girl was frighteningly beautiful, like a _Yuki Onna _waiting for an innocent passerby to get lost in the snowstorm.

Quickly, Kise put on his clothes and grabbed an energy bar for breakfast. He had been enjoying the view for too long only to find out that he was already ten minutes late for his appointment with his talent manager and the new model their company would be handling. Slipping on his sunglasses to avoid the common folk from recognizing him, he hailed a cab and urged the driver to hurry. With a confident smile, he ran a hand through his hair and brushed some loose locks away from his face. He was certain he looked good today. He always did, after all.

Oyuki, however, found herself rather bemused. Wasn't she supposed to meet with the top model of this renowned modeling agency? Didn't he know the importance of punctuality? Nobody seemed to mind that he was almost an hour late. Whoever Kise Ryota was, she was most certainly sure she would not like him one bit, and she would be sure to show her disdain. She fumed in her seat, kicking the table lightly with ever other second that passed. The girl didn't even want to be here! She could be at home doing some paperwork for their family business or practicing on her piano for her upcoming recital, yet here she was, about to do sign a contract for a modeling career she didn't want in the first place!

The Hanabusa family business was designing luxury wear and accessories, and modeling would surely help them gain more connections which would favor their firm. But at what price? Wasting her precious time by waiting for a brat? She huffed, crossing her arms in defeat. It wasn't as if she could disobey her father.

As if on cue, the door burst open to reveal a handsome blonde who she assumed was Kise Ryota. He was smiling rather sheepishly as he entered the room. Everybody who passed by him made it a point to greet him good morning. For a brief second, their eyes met. Her cerulean eyes were staring at him so intently that it sent him shivers down his spine.

"You're late." She announced airily.

"Ah! I'm sorry about that! I got stuck in traffic because people recognized who I was!" He explained lightly, scratching the back of his head. "I'm Kise Ryota by the way. And you are?"

"Hanabusa Oyuki."

"It's nice to meet you, Oyuki-chan." Kise smiled at her, earning him another scowl. He laughed lightly at her response and scratched the back of his head as he sat down across her. It was obvious that he didn't make a good first impression.

He was about to apologize, but she indignantly turned away. She showed her obvious disinterest in him when she put on her earphones when he tried talking to her. The two waited in silence for the talent manager as he called the different people involved with the contract signing. Strangely enough, Oyuki was immune to his charm and charisma. She wasn't fazed at him by all. The girl didn't even spare him a second glance!

Kise let out an exasperated sigh. It wasn't the first time he has encountered girls like her. After a few days of innocent flirting, they would be head over heels for him. The only girl he knew who didn't fall prey to his tricks was Momoi Satsuki and that was because they were very close friends.

Throughout the ordeal, she just listened to the talent manager. She would nod her head in approval and ask questions whenever there were some things that needed clarification. The girl was quiet; she didn't talk unless she didn't need too. Oyuki read the contract carefully, briefly scanning the pages for anything that she might have missed. With her fountain pen, she signed her elaborate signature on the different pages and copies of the contract before returning the pages to the talent manager. She carried herself with so much eloquence and elegance, and it was evident that she wasn't just another pretty face. It was no surprise their company was eager to have her sign a contract with them.

Oyuki stood up from her seat and bowed politely at the oblivious talent manager. "I look forward to working with everyone! I'll see you all soon!" She smiled at everybody who came to welcome her, her cheeks dusted with a tint of pink.

"See you soon, Oyuki-chan!"

"Fuck off." The girl mumbled loud enough for only the male model to hear before bowing her head deeply. "Please take good care of me, Kise-san!"

"Isn't she a charmer?" The talent manager whispered to Kise, the two of them watching Hanabusa Oyuki walk out the room, her dark, black hair swaying in the wind.

Something was telling him it was going to be a long, cold year.


	2. The Snow Queen, Alone

**A/N: **This chapter is more focused on Oyuki and how she sees the world around her. Before anything happens, I want the two of them to understand each other have a deep friendship. I've already mapped out the major events that would be happening. Comedy, drama and angst will most likely ensue in the future chapters. Also, I'm still uncertain as to who else would be interested in Oyuki. I was thinking of adding Aomine or Midorima later on. What do you guys think?

Anywho, tell me what you think so far! I would really appreciate constructive criticism or comments from everybody! Thank you for the follows and favorites too!

* * *

On blissful mornings wherein the weather was perfect for sleeping in, Hanabusa Oyuki would always find herself hating the rays of sunlight that entered her room. The girl was tired. There were even small bags under her eyes from overworking herself for the past week. She had school in the morning, business worksheets in between breaks that needed signing and modeling stints at the evening. It was no wonder she felt drained.

Groaning, she forced herself to get up from her bed. It had become a bad habit of hers to sleep for a good ten minutes after showering and dressing up which often meant a scrunched up uniform and tangled hair. Luckily for her, her parents bought her a condominium unit near school, reducing the amount of time she would have to spend for traveling to school.

Before she left, she looked at the only photo on her wall. It was her first photoshoot which was taken a week after her contract signing. It was for a coffee shop that was opening in Shibuya. She was sitting cozily beside Kise Ryota, the infamous model, as they both held a cup of coffee in their hands with blissful smiles on their faces. Their chemistry on camera was beautiful. Even though they were arguing left and right before the shot was taken, they still managed to look good together.

The small girl exited the building, still half-asleep as she began her walk towards school. It was only the fifth day of classes, and she has yet to find a club that she could join. Although it wasn't required of her, Oyuki decided to join a club to her liking as an excuse for avoiding future modeling stints. She was beginning to like modeling, but she missed spending time on the things she actually liked doing. She started humming softly, thinking which club to join, unbeknownst to her that a pair of golden eyes was watching her from a distance.

Kise always found her alone. Despite her beauty, affluence and success, she always looked detached from the world around her. Although it was already the fifth day of classes, he has never seen her talk to anyone in their class. She would always have a melancholy expression on her face be it at work or at school. Though a part of him wanted to ignore her because of her obvious animosity towards him, he felt concerned for the girl. He was convinced that today would be the day he would finally succeed in inviting her for lunch, get to know her a little bit better and hopefully paint a smile on her face.

Oyuki's black hair was tied up in a high ponytail while she donned thick-framed glasses. She was thankful nobody has recognized her. The girl didn't want to cause a commotion in school. Unlike her coworker and classmate, Kise Ryota, she didn't enjoy the extra attention. People passed her by without a second glance much to her delight.

She sat down quietly, eyeing the students around her. She spent elementary and middle school alone with a few acquaintances here and there. Having studied in a prestigious school for the elite during middle school made her realize that friendships were often forged due to mutual gain. It made her weary of everyone around her. She convinced herself that she was too busy to make friends, handling their family business at a young age. Oyuki was too proud to admit that she was lonely, but there were times that she would find herself longing for some warmth.

This year, a few girls actually walked up to her to ask her to lunch, yet she declined them immediately, saying that she was too busy. She didn't mean it; the words were a reflexive response. Nobody approached her ever since, and everybody assumed that she was just another condescending bitch. The only person who would talk to her was Kise. Their conversations would usually go with Kise talking on and on about his modeling experiences or basketball, and she would just pretend that she was listening and nod from time to time. It wasn't much, but admittedly, his presence made school a little less depressing for her.

The bell rang, disrupting her train of thought. Classes breezed by with Oyuki just doodling on her notebook. The girl had brought a bento enough to feed at least five people. She wanted to as her classmates to eat with her, but her nerves got the better of her. Stuck with a bento that could feed a family that she herself had prepared, she found herself sulking in her seat as her cerulean eyes watched the groups of people leave the room to have lunch together.

'Maybe I'll ask them next week..' She thought to herself, her fingers grasping the _furoshiki _**[1]** tightly.

"Yo, Oyuki-chan. Want to eat lunch together?" A familiar voice asked from behind.

"No. I'm fine thank you, Kise-san." Rolling her eyes, she looked up at him with her cold, blue eyes. Kise did not falter. Today, he was determined to have lunch with Oyuki.

* * *

Kise was undeniably persistent. Oyuki found sitting on a bench in the courtyard with the blonde giant with her bento in between them. Though she vehemently declined his offer, it came to a point that Oyuki just said yes to shut the blonde up.

For someone who looked so healthy, she found it unbelievable how he could eat so much. He was about to finish the third serving, yet he showed no signs of slowing down. She could only watch with awe as he stuffed so much food in his mouth.

"Hey, aren't you eating?" Kise asked her in the middle of chewing his tempura.

She shook her head. "I'm on a diet. My manager says I need to lose some more weight for this television ad." She said nonchalantly before munching on some lettuce.

"Eh? But you're already so thin, Oyuki-chan!"

"Apparently, I'm not skinny enough." She mumbled under her breath, scowling a little as she bit on her chopsticks angrily.

Kise let out a hearty laugh. The blonde wanted to ruffle her hair, but he decided against it knowing that the little girl would probably get angry with him again. This was probably the first decent conversation that they had, and he could only smile as the girl quietly ate beside him.

* * *

**[1]** _Furoshiki_ are a type of traditional Japanese wrapping cloth traditionally used to transport clothes, gifts, or other goods.


	3. The Snow Queen, Sleepless

**A/N: **Hello, lovely readers! Thank you for the favorites and follows! Hopefully, this chapter won't disappoint. Pardon me for the slow update. I've been revising my thesis, and it's been difficult to write lately because I've always been tired. I promise you more Kise in future chapters! Slowly but surely. This was released in a rush, and I'll be sure to correct spelling and grammatical errors if there are any.

**SavageKill**, you're right about your first assumption! I also think it's inevitable for Oyuki to have fangirl issues especially when the two of them get closer, but I think Oyuki can handle them! Hoho~

Tell me what you think of the story so far! I would love to hear everybody's thoughts on it!

* * *

Being a busy lady, Oyuki has always valued sleep. Despite her hectic schedule, she would always do her best to ensure that she had a good night's rest. The girl believed that sleeping would absolve any negativity she harbored; she believed that most problems could be resolved after some shuteye. But today, no matter how badly she wanted to sleep and temporarily forget all of her worries, she drowned herself in coffee to keep herself awake.

It was 6:00 AM in the morning and their team was already getting ready. She looked terrible, and she knew Arthur, her makeup artist, would scold her for the bags underneath her eyes. The poor girl had to stay up late to finish the paperwork her father left unchecked. It didn't help that classes today were incredibly taxing in preparation for their midterm examinations. Normally, she would put on some lip and cheek tint and change into more presentable clothes before meeting her clients. But today, the girl was so tired that she didn't even bother fixing herself.

Things would have been so smooth if her father didn't have to force her into modeling. She would have all the time she needed to focus on her academics, their family business and perhaps even her nonexistent social life. She waited in silence upon listening to the director's instructions, ignoring the blonde model that continuously poked her sides.

Despite their friendly encounter a few days ago, Oyuki still acted as if Kise didn't exist. She would greet her good morning whenever their paths would cross at school or nod her head in acknowledgement upon seeing each other at the studio. She didn't want anything to do with him, for she was convinced that the blonde model brought trouble wherever he went.

Three hours have passed since they have started shooting, and the heat was beginning to make her feel nauseous, yet she couldn't bring herself to complain. It was only her fourth shoot, and she wanted to make a good expression. As the beads of sweat trickled down her forehead, Kise seemed to notice her distress. She looked away, but nothing could escape his discerning, amber orbs.

"Hey, are you okay?" He whispered to her softly.

"I'm fine. It's really none of your business." She immediately turned away from his observant eyes, hoping he didn't notice the slight trembling of her voice.

"If you're not too well, I can tell your manager and—

"I said I'm fine, Kise-san. Thank you for your concern."

"You're not. You're—

She cut him off angrily, her voice ringing in the air, "I said I was okay! Stop sticking your nose in other people's business!"

She covered her mouth in shame, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment. Her shoulders trembled in humiliation upon realizing what she did. Needless to say, everybody was taken aback by the sudden outburst from the small girl. They stared at her and then at Kise, unsure of what to do next. The blonde model put a hand on her shoulder to reassure her that it was fine, but she flinched and ran off even before he could talk to her.

Hesitant, Kise followed her. He was able to catch up with her easily, but she slammed the door in his face before he could even say anything.

"Oyuki-chan, open up." Gently, he knocked on the door, hoping the girl would realize that he meant her no harm.

"Go away!" She shouted back at him.

"I'll just tell them you're not feeling too well, Oyuki-chan. You should have a good night's rest." He paused. "If you're having trouble, you could always talk to me."

He tried knocking a few more times, but her only response was a string of profanities. Kise sighed in disbelief. He knew Oyuki was stubborn, but he didn't know she could be this difficult. He knew the girl would just push him away, yet he found himself drawn to her like a moth to a flame. The image of her tired, blue eyes haunted him. Every time he would look at her cerulean eyes, he would always find himself lost in a snowstorm.

Oyuki blinked her eyes slowly; the girl felt guilty. Despite her obvious distaste in the blonde, he was still kind towards her. Kise had always been there for her. He would always make sure she was comfortable whenever they were shooting. He also greeted her hello everyday even though he knew she would always ignore him. Although Oyuki his flamboyant personality always irritated her to no end, she couldn't deny that Kise had always been kind.

Again, Kise knocked on the door softly. This time, he didn't say anything.

"What do you want?" Her voice trembled as she spoke. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes from embarrassment. Biting her lower lip, she forced herself not to cry. She wanted to open the door, to talk to someone who would listen to her.

She turned the knob, expecting his gold eyes to crash into hers. But when she opened the door, Kise wasn't there anymore.


	4. The Snow Queen, Sincere

**A/N: **Terribly sorry for the late update. My deadline for my thesis proposal is fast approaching, yet here I am, writing this story because of your kind reviews. Thank you for the favorites and follows, everyone. It makes me so happy that there are people who are actually reading my story! For some, eight reviews might seem so little, but to me, it's already a milestone!

**SavageKill**, we'll get to see more of her family in the latter chapters!

**M. Mellow**, don't worry! They'll be spending more time together soon. Hohoho~

**BloodyMisaki**, thank you so much! It means a lot to me, really! I'm glad you like her so far. I'm planning to make her quite a complex character because I want to develop her personality throughout the story alongside her relationship with Kise.

**Pockychuu**, there's still a long way before they turn

Tell me what you think of the story so far! I would love to hear what you think!

* * *

It has been three days since the disastrous shoot, and she found herself with knots in her stomach as she trudged through the gates. It has also been three days since she last heard from Kise. She was half-expecting him to check up on her, and she was glad that he didn't. The girl wanted to avoid him at all costs to save herself from yet another embarrassing encounter with the blonde. But despite her chagrin, she knew she had to apologize for her unwarranted impudence towards the boy because he obviously didn't deserve it.

With a heavy sigh, she slid the door to her classroom open and went inside. Much to her relief, the classroom was empty which means she would be able to put her letter on top of his desk unnoticed. Her conscience was getting the better of her, and she just wanted to apologize to get it over with. The guilt of being too cruel to Kise was beginning to chew her insides. Would he forgive her? Would he even bother reading the letter she wrote for him? Would things change between them after her apology? She shook her head, telling herself not to expect anything from him. After all the bullshit she put him through, he had the right to be angry at her.

A small smile danced on Oyuki's lips as she held the letter in her hands.

When she emerged from her dressing room that morning, the crew was already packing up. The director and the photographer didn't even spare her a second glance as they surveyed the hundreds of photos they took of the two models. She was expecting everybody to be frustrated with her for delaying the shoot, yet everyone was smiling at her, thanking her for her hard work. Apparently, Kise took responsibility for her actions, saying that he forced her to come and continue the shoot despite her high fever.

No wonder he kept on asking her if she was okay before the shoot began. The blonde must have noticed her distress and kept an eye out for her. It would have been more than enough if he simply called for a thirty-minute break, but instead, he made sure that the shoot wouldn't resume until she was feeling better. What surprised her even more was that Kise even went out of his way to preserve her image by telling every body that it was his fault that she got angry, knowing very well that her sudden outburst of anger wouldn't bode well for her budding career. If everyone found out her true nature, she was sure they would be reluctant to give her future modeling stints.

Gently, she placed the letter down on the table, hoping nobody would notice the innocent blue envelope on the model's table.

Little by little, Oyuki found herself charmed by the golden boy. Maybe he wasn't that bad after all.

* * *

Basketball practice finished early, and Kise had nowhere else to go and nothing else to do. Instead of playing around with his teammates, today, he decided to go back to class and actually try reading the assigned text for the day. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see that somebody was already inside.

Sleeping underneath the soft glow of the sunlight was Oyuki, a small girl with a sharp tongue and a hard head. Her glasses were folded neatly on her desk along with her homework. There was a faint, pink glow on her cheeks and her long lashes fluttered every now and then. The darkness of her hair and the paleness of her skin made her seem frighteningly beautiful underneath the sun. Gone was the Oyuki who was dolled up in makeup and haute couture. Gone was the Oyuki with the thick, black glasses who was always buried in books and paperwork. Instead, here was Hanabusa Oyuki, an innocent doll who was sleeping without a care in the world.

Kise didn't want to wake her, so he just sat behind her and watched the snow queen sleep. As he sat down on his desk, he was surprised to find an envelope gilded with silver snowflakes. Carefully, he opened the envelope and found a letter that read:

"Sorry. – Oyuki"

Kise couldn't help but chuckle at this. The blonde didn't even expect her to apologize. He assumed she would merely pretend that nothing was wrong, yet in his hand was a letter written by the snow queen herself in her elegant calligraphy. He could imagine her writing the letter with an all too familiar scowl on her face.

His gold eyes drifted to Oyuki who was rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Kise-san?" She cooed softly.

It felt surreal when he heard her utter his name with her silvery voice, and he could only smile at her brightly as the small girl turned to face him. When she saw the letter in his hands, and she couldn't help but turn red in embarrassment. She immediately turned around and buried herself in their algebra homework.

"Hey, Oyuki-chan. Do you want to have lunch together today?"

She didn't reply.

"You know I won't take no for an answer." He teased.

"I know." She mumbled faintly, a small smile ghosting her lips.


End file.
